


Tempting Death

by Absolong



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Dream Smp, Gen, Zombie Apocalypse, dream team, sleepy bois inc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29175987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Absolong/pseuds/Absolong
Summary: The Plague arrived about seven years ago. People grew weary, sick, mindless. They became zombies, infected by this disease that caused skin to rot, eyes to go blind, and a never-ending hunger to claw at the stomach.Pogtopia was one of the first cities to fall. The population mostly decimated, many could not make it out alive. Over the seven years factions, pockets of humanity started to build up and fortify themselves. These factions are at constant war between the zombie hoard and each other, fighting for food, for supplies, and to survive.This is the story of those survivors.
Relationships: ALL PLATONIC, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Kudos: 30





	1. Survival

A cold breeze ran through the abandoned city streets. A sign that Autumn was ending and Winter was fast approaching. The change in the weather was not good news, as it grew harder to find supplies and to stay warm, fires risking unwanted attention.

It had been six winters that had passed, each getting harder and harder to survive. Phil noted the exhaustion that the others in front were feeling. Techno leading the group quietly.  
The older had grown to see this group as a family, having first met Techno all those years ago. They were brothers in arms and had fought together on the brink of survival many times. Techno was an excellent tactician and knew the quickest way to immobilise a zombie without getting bitten.

Wilbur was behind Techno, holding a map of the city out in front of him. While many of the buildings had fallen into a state of disrepair, the landmarks stood tall and imposing, reminding everyone of the life they used to have.  
He watched as Wil tapped Techno’s shoulder quietly, causing the other to glance back. Wil had been studying the streets, pinpointing safe structures and places to try and raid for supplies. They tried to travel as light as possible, but sometimes it was difficult to do so. Sometimes it felt like everything was of use and importance.

As Techno stopped after checking their surroundings to glance at the location Wil was pointing, Phil took a point to make sure nothing was in front or behind them. Tommy stuck close to them.  
The youngest of the group, Wilbur had been travelling with Tommy before Phil and Techno had met them. They had been neighbours, and Wil had promised Tommy’s parents he would look after the child…now teen. 9 was so young to be forced into this harsh world, but he had grown over the seven years. Phil treated him like a son, and he knew Tommy felt like they were family. Tommy kept them together, kept them motivated to survive and do better next time. He was always positive, a trait difficult to come by in these times.

“Phil…” Wil’s voice broke his daydreaming, and he glanced at the group.  
“I think there’s a convenience store a few blocks this way, and it’s close to an old…maybe a fabric or a linen shop? We should start getting prepared for Winter.”  
The elder noticed Techno nodding behind Wil, and Tommy shivering ever so slightly. They were correct. The city had always been difficult in Winter. Even though they had spent so many Winters surviving, resources were getting harder and harder to come by.  
“I also think I have a safe place for us to bed down for tonight. There’s an old bank close to the convenience store. If Tommy can jerry-rig the security, we may be safe…the issue is risking triggering an alarm. That may attract attention.”

“I can do it!” Tommy frowned stubbornly, and Phil put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm things down.  
“We know you can, we should scout it out first. Make sure everything is alright. Once we are sure it’s clear we can see if it’s something worth the risk. Let’s go check that shop first of all though. Techno we’ll swap.”

Phil had been allocated the de facto leader as the eldest. He wasn’t that old, but the others took orders and listened to him very well. Even Tommy, who was harder to deal with at times, knew to listen to Phil when he was serious.

He had wondered for a time if it was a good idea to join one of the bigger factions in the city. There were three that he knew about. L’Manburg to the East was controlled by a big shot businessman. He had heard terrible rumours about Schlatt and the way he treated his people.

It was not something he wanted to risk subjecting the others too. Techno didn’t do well with falling under someone, Wilbur was uncomfortable staying in one place too long, and Tommy would follow the others in a heartbeat. As much as they bickered and fought with one another, they cared for each other.

The other option was a faction known as the Dream Team. They had been to the Dream Team headquarters a couple of times, located close to the centre of the city in a well-fortified high rise. Dream wasn’t as much of a tyrant as Schlatt was, but he was cold and untrusting. Every order he gave had to be obeyed ‘for the chance to survive’ as he had put it.  
Techno had known Dream before the plague, but whenever Phil queried the younger male refused to talk about it. No one had been eager to stay there for more than a week. And they had to pay their way, which was starting to get harder and harder to afford. Four people travelling was already getting difficult. Food was scarce and clean water was hard to find.

They were fine…for the moment. Perhaps it would be something they would need to consider in the future.  
He also knew of another faction in the south, known as the Hermits. A few travellers they had met had spoken of the group. Extremely skilled and intelligent, they were supposedly working on a vaccine to help. Though to travel to the south of the city they had to cross a river, which had three bridges. Easy pickings for zombies or rogue factions who cared little for human life. Another risk he couldn’t bring himself to take.

As they approached the shop, Techno moved to scout ahead. While all of them were skilled fighters, Techno almost had superhuman senses. He was always alert, and always keeping an eye out for things.  
Once the all-clear was given, Phil allowed Wil and Tommy to go first before he followed in.

Most of the buildings had been ransacked, but this store had been mostly untouched it seemed. There were shelves and shelves of dusty snacks and old candy bars. Phil took the chance to grab the protein bars and any canned stuff. The rest of the food was unsalvageable, but the few tins and jars the shop did have were split between the four and put into their rucksacks.

As Techno moved to check the backroom, and Wil browsed the shelves, Phil moved to stand close to the entrance, keeping eyes and ears out. Until he heard a noise from Tommy.  
“Guys, come see this!” Why did the boy keep forgetting to not raise his voice? It wasn’t like they were new to this. With a roll of his eyes Phil stepped back in, before frowning.  
Tommy had went behind the counter, having grabbed the money in the till. While not useful now, some traders still used old currency as a way of keeping track of things. The younger teen had also found what looked to be a pistol and some bullets.  
“Tommy!” Phil frowned suddenly and motioned to grab it.  
“I know I know; I’m not going to shoot it. But it’s cool isn’t it?”

Phil motioned to take it, and Tommy frowned.  
“Aw c’mon Phil. I found it, look I’ll even let you keep the bullets, so I don’t fire it. I promise, I just…please?” Phil glanced over to see Techno rolling his eyes and returning to look through the backroom, motioning for Wil to follow him.  
“Fine, fine. But please. It’ll be loud and you know noise isn’t good. Now c’mon, help me do a final sweep before we leave this place.” Tommy’s smile was contagious though, and Phil gave a shake of his head before letting him lead them around to grab some other things.

Techno and Wil were surveying the back room. There were a few things of stock, Wil had crossed the shop on his map as a place to potentially resupply should they need to. It was far enough away from both L’Manburg and Dream Team raiders. Though wanderers may pick it up.

As they looked, Wil opened the door to a small office area. As well as papers and stationery, which Will took some of to help light fires, he saw a couple of old articles of clothing. A thick trenchcoat and a scarf. He gripped it quickly, putting it on with a smile. It was a bit big for his frame, but it was warm. He also found a pair of gloves and a hat. Lucky day really.  
As he pushed through the room, he saw stairs leading up, and glanced around for Techno. They had made an agreement some time ago, that no one would travel alone. They were together in this, whether they wanted to or not.

He stepped back out of the office and glanced around a few shelves before he found the other, looking through a box of tinned goods.  
He made sure to tap quietly as to not startle the other and smiled when he looked up.  
“I found an upstairs. Perhaps there’s more stuff there? Do you want to get Phil and Tommy?”

This was becoming a lucky day for them. Perhaps they had found shelter already. With an unspoken acknowledgement, they both moved into the main shop floor, finding Phil showing Tommy a cheap-looking utility knife set they had found, and how to work it.  
“Hey, Wil found an upstairs. If this place is as untouched as it is, perhaps we’ll be lucky?” Techno began warily.

Phil had to agree, zombies and travellers rarely took side streets nowadays, and they were quite deep in a small neighbourhood they had found. If they could clutter up the stairwell then they could camp out here for a few days and resupply. Which would be good given the season change.  
“It’s worth the risk. Tommy, stay close to Wil ok? Me and Tech will go up first. Wil, you know what to do.”

The younger gave a smirk and a nod before he heard Tommy.  
“Where did you get that trenchcoat? It looks so cool man. I want it.” Wil rolled his eyes and pulled out a scarf.  
“I’m keeping the trenchcoat, but I found this for you. It’s red, your colour.” Tommy’s eyes lit up, and he took the scarf carefully, wrapping it around his neck before they began moving.

Techno went upstairs first, and Phil followed close behind. They both had weapons out, Phil had an axe he found years ago which had served him well, while Techno preferred a sword that they had taken when a desperate traveller had tried to loot them one night while they slept.  
The pair of them surveyed the rooms, there were three in all. A cluttered kitchen and living space, with a separate bathroom. No one was home, and it seemed like no one had been for years.

Once the sweep was secure, and Techno had carefully closed all the curtains, the four of them worked to block up the entrances, shifting shelves and crates, as well as pushing a heavy cupboard in front of the door that led up the stairs and jamming another door with a brush.  
It wouldn’t last forever, but it was enough for a couple of nights. They had been walking and sleeping rough for a while.

As Phil and Techno moved the last piece of furniture, happy with their fortifications, Wil appeared again.  
“Guys, this has been a mad stroke of luck. It still has water, hot water at that. I dunno how it’s not been disconnected or fucked up. But really you should come and see this.”

The three moved their way into the bathroom, where Wil was right. Water, boiling hot water that ran from the faucet.  
“Oh, that is luxury. Man, where was this place when we needed it last week.” Phil smirked quietly. They were still being extremely quiet. This safety was not something they could take for granted. The first time they got settled in a place, their scent got stronger and they were swarmed after a week. They had to leave without any items they had gathered and lost a lot of personal belongings. So as comfortable and as safe as they felt, they knew the risks were greater than the overall rewards.

“Do you think it’s safe enough to be able to wash? It’s been so long.” Wilbur muttered, and Phil glanced around.  
“If we’re quick, I don’t want one of us being vulnerable for too long. We also don’t know how long this hot water will last, and we want to try and fill up canteens with water in general. Right, let’s be quick. The bathroom still has soap. Tommy, you are first. C’mon. Hurry up.”

The faction headquarters usually had hot water and other amenities. Phil was reluctant to use things like this out in the city. But they had fortified it well enough. With either himself, Wil or Techno keeping watch they should be fine. It was only a couple of days, to rest and sort their supplies out before hitting the road again. Either way, it was another safe house that they could add to the list. They had started to pick up a few here and there. As long as they didn’t stay too long and rotated constantly.

After Tommy went Wil, then Phil and Techno had a silent argument about who should go after. Before Phil convinced Techno to go next. He knew the other was happy to sacrifice his own needs, but that was not happening this time. If the water ran out or anything, he wanted to make sure the three had benefitted from it.  
When Techno had finished Phil washed up quickly. The hot water was luxurious, and he had never felt as clean in such a long time. Though the clothes were still dirty, it felt good to have a layer of dirt removed from him, sorting out scars and cuts that had been collected over time.

As he left the shower and changed quickly, he returned to see Techno glancing through a half-opened curtain every so often. Tommy had neatly emptied the contents of his bag as had Wil, and they were going through sorting things out.  
“There are some more clothes in these cupboards. Another coat Tommy, you should take this one.” Phil muttered throwing a red parka like coat at the teen.  
“This looks like a woman’s coat. I’m not a girl Phil.” He muttered and Phil rolled his eyes.  
“Yes, but you’ll freeze when the cold weather comes. Girl or not that will keep you warm. Keep it.”

Tommy grumbled again about the trenchcoat that Wil seemed to purposefully ignore, before taking the coat and bundling it up beside him.  
The house didn’t have anything else working, not that they would risk turning on any lights or anything. They had a small flashlight and one large one to use in emergencies, which gave enough light without catching too much attention. Wil usually used it while studying the map, plotting their next destination.

“I think we should stop by Dream HQ next,” Wil muttered, and Techno gave a roll of his eyes. Tommy frowned as well, but Phil looked curious.  
“We’ve got all this stuff here. We can maybe trade it and get some other supplies. Maybe give us a couple of nights in the high rise. I know none of us like it, but we need to prepare for winter. If we need to, stay all winter, I think it’s a good idea.”  
Phil was first to reply, giving a nod.  
“We were lucky with this safe house. But this isn’t going to be a permanent thing. I’ve been thinking about Winter too. And as much as we can try and stock up and prepare, last year we all nearly got hypothermia. I mean, I suppose we can put it off for so long. But even if we give up this location, that’s valuable enough for a couple of weeks of safety. It might be worth it.” He sat back on the soft furniture, looking at the others for a response.

“I mean if you guys think so…I’ll go with you. To be honest I don’t like the idea of owing those guys anything. Also giving away anything valuable. But last winter was definitely brutal. I mean we could prepare. But it’d be nice to have some more guys keeping watch. At least during the coldest month. When spring comes back we can be out of there quickly.” Techno responded. Phil could see he was hesitant to agree. There was still something that bothered the younger male about Dream. He could tell.

“But none of us like those guys.” Tommy began and Wilbur rolled his eyes.  
“It’s not a case of liking them, you stupid child. We need to survive. Do you want to be shivering in the cold again as we hide from zombies? Remember when Phil almost didn’t wake up at one point?!”

The raised voice of Wil caused Tommy to flinch back, and glare at the ground. Phil moved forward, placing a hand on both of their shoulders.  
“It will be temporary. Just for a month. We’ll let the cold month pass, and then we’ll be out of there. We can keep to ourselves, and we have enough food not to rely on them. It’s literally just for the safety of their walls.”  
Tommy pulled away, moving to sit on another chair in the corner. Phil glanced at Wil, who just sighed and shook his head.  
“Yeah Phil, I think we should make that our next plan.” With that, the elder nodded.  
“Ok, we’ll stay here a few days, then we’re gathering as much as we can to take to Dream HQ. The more we have that we can trade, the more believable this find will be. Now, I think we should get some rest. Techno?”

Techno just nodded, sitting back in the chair he had claimed as his own.  
“I’m taking the first watch Phil. Get some rest, I’ll wake you when it’s your turn.”

With a sigh, Phil nodded and approached Tommy who just shook his head. He knew the stress from this situation got to them. But it was still difficult to see them fight with one another. But it had to happen. Wil was right, and Tommy was right to be wary of Dream HQ. It was something they just had to…all accept in the end.  
He fell asleep in the soft armchair, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.

-

When he felt a hand on his shoulder he woke up instantly, eyes daring about before landing on Techno. His heart rate, which had picked up on waking up, dropped down again and he gave a soft yawn.  
“You take this chair mate. I’ll switch with you.” Techno only nodded as they swapped, Phil moving to glance out the partially opened curtains. It was a decent vantage point, being able to see down the street both directions. No one should be able to sneak upon them.  
He glanced to Wilbur and saw Tommy was pressed against the other's chest in a tight hug, keeping each other warm. They had made up, good. It was easy for tensions to rise while living like this. But they needed to forgive each other. They were the only family they had after all.

He knew that Tommy and Wil had lost family. Wil had moved from a small town, and there had been no news on the outcome of that. Wil and Tommy were sure the younger males’ family had not managed to make it.  
From what he knew about Techno, there was the potential that one of his sisters was alive. She was living in another city that was more prepared for the plague. Though it was impossible to get there. They were lucky to have the shelter and safety of buildings here, out in the wilds it was rumoured to be far more dangerous. They had met a traveller a few years before who came from a town and had nearly lost his arm to a zombie. They roamed in hoards of 10-20 outside the cities. If it was just himself, Techno and Wil he would chance it. But Tommy…while a skilled fighter he was still young. They had made a promise to protect the teen at all costs. Techno was ok with it, they would try eventually.

Phil’s family lived on the other side of the country. He had not heard from them in so long and had been worried and thought about giving up. But, after finding this group, he couldn’t, he knew he couldn’t.  
With a sigh he sat back, keeping an eye on everything and anything. The street was still and silent, there was nothing moving, no lights, no sounds. Eight years ago, this would have been unsettling, now it was reassuring. Zombies weren’t necessarily quiet. Though rogue travellers were dangerous. But this was safe. They were fine for the moment. That is all they could hope to be.

As the sun began to rise, a coating of frost could be seen on the road and the pavement. He heard a soft groan and glanced to see Wilbur opening his eyes, adjusting to having Tommy beside him and giving a fond smile, before seeing Phil and coughing slightly.  
“Mornin’” Phil all but mouthed, not wanting to wake the others if he could help it. Techno was a known insomniac. Wil just nodded in response and shuffled under the thin blanket layered with the trenchcoat and the coat he had used to create a warm bed.

Usually, they had things planned to do for the day. But this was the rare occasion where they could just relax.  
Wil stayed in the position he was for another hour or so, not wanting to disturb Tommy. Techno was the next to wake up, eyes opening quickly and glancing around at his surroundings. Once sure they were safe, he stretched, joints clicking at sleeping in the chair.

They had a few cans of food, and Phil had found some honey down the stairs. He threw both Wil and Techno a couple of protein bars each and moved to fill the water canisters. As he moved Tommy jerked awake quickly, and Phil sighed.  
“Sorry, mate didn’t mean to startle you.”  
“’ Tis fine.” Tommy began, feeling Wil begin to stir beside him. There was a brief second of pride that Phil noticed in Tommy’s eyes before he turned and curled back up next to Wilbur, causing the other to groan.  
“Tommy, my arm is dead. Let me at least sit up first.” He sighed.

Tommy shuffled slightly to let Wil free his arm, and turned to Phil.  
“So, what are our plans for today? Just sitting around?”

“We should all rest. It’s been a long couple of weeks since we last found a safe place. Just for another day or so. There’s a frost on the ground, so it’s really cold.” Phil sighed, before glancing at the old map Wil was looking at. There were scribbles and circles, notes down streets and alleyways of where they had been, with red crosses to avoid. 

Tommy had begun digging into his bag, pulling out a ratty old notebook that he kept around. A journal of sorts. While the book had been filled, the younger had some scrap paper on him which he attempted to stick with. He also pulled a magazine that he had picked up from downstairs and started working on cutting images and other things he liked. He had curled into Wil’s side to get some more warmth as the other worked on the map, marking off locations and adding his own notes.  
Techno and Phil did not have the same desire to rest. Techno had made his way to the back bedroom and had a vantage point on the other side of the property, while Phil kept an eye out the front. They were safe, both of them knew it…but the fear was still there.

It would always be there.  
  



	2. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four meet others. Is this safe?

A lone bird call echoed through the silent streets. High rise buildings towered like soldiers amplifying the sound.

The four walked in a line, careful to watch their sides, fronts and backs for any sudden movements. This area was a known lure for zombies and hunters alike, due to the amount of street clutter that was scattered throughout. From abandoned cars to old billboards, anything could be used to take advantage of the element of surprise.

Phil had decided to take the front, which left Techno in the back with Tommy and Wil in the centre. It was a standard routine. As good as Wilbur had become as a fighter, he was quicker and more agile than Techno and Phil, so could drag Tommy to safety if the need had arisen. They had a rule, that if the going gets tough, to get going.  
Of course that rule was rarely listened to. The amount of times each of them had jumped to the others rescue or defence confirmed that. And none of them would be able to actually muster abandoning one of their friends.

It had been a peaceful couple of days in that convenience shop, but after the snowfall on the second day, a light sprinkle, they knew they had to move quickly. The fact the snow was early hadn’t helped their plans, and Techno could tell the rest of the group were unhappy to make the dangerous march to the Dream Team high rise.  
A groan caught his attention, and he glanced off to the side where three of the plague ridden were lurking. He nudged to Tommy, who quickly relayed the message from Wilbur to Phil. The zombies hadn’t seemed to notice the four of them, and Techno unsheathed the sword quietly.

He noticed Phil following suit and motioned for the group to go by. If they were quiet, perhaps they could avoid them? Though taking on three zombies wasn’t too much of an issue, expending energy was not something anyone wanted to risk.  
However, as he turned a corner to a smaller side street, he saw another three ambling, searching for something to eat. These three, noticed Techno as he turned, and started lurching towards him.

“Damn, Phil!” The pink haired man groaned, pushing Tommy behind him almost immediately and pulling out his sword. Phil moved to switch places with Wilbur and brought the bat up to the nearest lurkers head, swiping at it violently.   
As they took care of one, and another, Techno heard Wil give a yelp and turned to see the other group had ambled their way over to the noise.  
Tommy was still behind him, but it was now Wil he was worried about. While he could fight, he wasn’t as confident as Phil or Techno.

Phil was being swarmed by two of his own and couldn’t take the attention off him. With a quiet groan he turned back to Tommy.  
“Stay, just…just stay.” With that warning he surged forward, pulling Wil back and slicing his sword through the air towards the three. Zombies weren’t bothered by wounds, and the only way you could really take care of one fully was to decapitate or burn it to the ground.  
Two of the lurchers tried to avoid the blade, however one took the hit straight to the gut. As Techno tried to back off the same one reached and bit down on the arm Techno was using to try and protect Wil. The patch of arm that was not covered by much of anything to allow for mobility.

He swore, and pulled the sword out of the undead, before using all the strength in his good arm to swing his sword around. The head of the zombie parted from the decaying corpse, and the creature crumpled to the ground, now fully dead.  
Using the free bit of space, Techno angled himself around to provide more cover to Wil and Tommy, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Phil managed to take care of the last of his two, before coming to his aid.  
Once he had the backup of Phil, getting rid of the other two were easy. Phil flanked the other side and used the momentum to force the zombies head off it’s body. Techno almost mirrored the movement, using the sword to decapitate the other.

As the tension died down, Techno turned to the others, looking each of them over for any signs of wounds or blood.  
“Techno, your arm. Stop, wait.” Wil motioned to the others arm, and only then did the swordsman glance down. The bite was there, clear as day.  
“Yeah, but you didn’t get hurt, did you? No one did?” The other three shook their heads, and Techno gave a soft sigh.  
“We don’t want this to get infected. I have some salve from the last time we were with the Dream Team. You need to hold still though Techno. And no, I’m not saving it, you need it.” Wil said forcefully as Techno began to stutter something.

Wil had a couple of pages he ripped out of a medical journal about how to treat infected wounds. When they visited the Dream Team headquarters last time, one of the individuals was working to try and figure out a cure. George was excellent at medicinal treatment and had allowed Wil to watch him work and help out when he could.  
He had been given some of the ointment before they left, with a pat on the shoulder and a warning. While it wouldn’t prevent the infection spreading, it could slow it down until it could be treated properly.

Wil pulled on a rubber glove, before putting some of the ointment on a finger. While the disease spread faster on an open wound, it was wise to take precautions when dealing with the infection in case there was potential for it to spread further.  
He was gentle in applying the cream, and while Techno felt the sting of the antiseptic getting to work, he tried to remain impassive.  
“Their swarms are growing, six is…starting to push it. We really need to pick up the pace if we want to get to the headquarters quickly.” Phil mumbled delicately, before anyone else could reply, Tommy piped up.  
“Those are snow clouds coming in as well. I reckon in the next hour or so we’ll get more of the stuff.”

Tommy’s mindset seemed to have changed about heading to the High Rise. Though Techno was aware it was probably just to stop the others from worrying or asking further questions. Tommy was confrontational yes, but the younger also hated having arguments with Wilbur. They were the closest out of the group, and while Techno was more of an older brother and Phil was more of a father figure, Tommy always gravitated towards the musician, quick to show him things or tell him stories in the hopes he would succeed in gaining Wil’s attention.

When Wil had finished, he glanced to the rest of them.  
“Right, so it’s a straight shot to the headquarters from here. Let’s just hope they’re accepting more people. Remember the last time when they had just got an influx? A large group of people means the chance of infection spreading quicker.” Techno ignored Phil’s glance to his own hand and moved forward.  
“Let’s try and move quickly. Hopefully, we won’t run into any more lurkers.”

-

They were lucky to not have to engage with any further zombies on their trek to the building. Techno’s hand had grown numb with the feeling of antiseptic and the cold, so it was good they didn’t run into any further trouble.  
But as they approached, they were stopped by voices above them.  
  
“Hey! State your business!” There were two individuals positioned in front of the entrance. They were well covered and wore a mismatch of protective gear that was still more than any of the others had.  
“We’re here looking for rest. We’ve been here before. Please, we have items and information to trade for a place to stay.” Phil stepped forward, showing his hands as a sign of peace.  
“How long do you plan on staying?” One of the guards said, makeshift spear still out as he began to approach cautiously.  
“Please, just a few weeks. We can support ourselves; we just need a place which is safer than the streets.” Phil kept his hands up, and Techno wanted nothing more than to snatch the spear from the guard. How dare he threaten Phil?  
But they couldn’t cause conflict, and these two had a right to be suspicious of any traveller who tried to chance their luck.

Techno glanced at the other guard, who seemed to be talking through a radio like device to someone else. The words were quiet however and he couldn’t make out the full conversation.  
After a couple minutes stalemate, said guard gave a nod.  
“Sap says it’s ok to let them in, and they’re trustworthy.” Techno could see Phil’s shoulders relax, the other had always been so expressive in his body language. People trusted Phil, he had a kind smile and a patient tone. Without him they wouldn’t have survived as long as they had.

They were led into an immediate warmth, and each gave a soft sigh in response.  
However, just as they entered they were approached by two individuals. A man with a familiar pure white mask and another wearing a white bandana around his head and no mask. This one was easier to read, and Techno remembered this was Sapnap, one of the three ‘leaders’ of this faction. While the masked one….well he knew him masked or not. Dream.  
Said individual gave a nod over to Techno, who glanced away in response. Their relationship was not one he was willing to talk about with anyone, and he didn’t want to start showing.

“Hey guys, good to see you again.” Sapnap smile, and Phil gripped his hand with a friendly smile in greeting.  
“Hi again Sapnap, Dream. How have you been? Thanks for letting us in, it’s literally just shelter and warmth we need. We don’t want to take any of your supplies. Though, Techno did get wounded, we can look into payment for that too.” It would eat into their supplies, but they may have enough things to trade that would be worthwhile.

Dream’s gaze was still on Techno, and he felt entirely uncomfortable under the scrutiny.   
“I never thought the great Technoblade would get bitten by a lurcher, I’m surprised you were careless?” Techno just glared at him and was about to retort when Tommy stepped in.  
“Techno is protecting us constantly out there. I get we’re asking you for shelter and what not but fuck off and leave him alone. He’s probably way better than you.”

“Tommy…” Phil began, and Tommy shook his head.  
“Techno is the best fighter! He’s great at keeping us alive, and that’s all of us. This guy….what was it, Dream? This fucker shouldn’t just get to insult him!”  
“Tommy…” Techno repeated Phil’s tone, as much as he felt pride in Tommy defending him, they really needed a place to stay for the month. Dream was the leader here; they were in his domain.

Dream’s masked gaze turned to Tommy. Most would flinch at the featureless smile that looked to be drawn on, but Tommy stood his ground, determined not to hesitate. Dream was taller, and that could be considered imposing to some.

“Techno, follow me and I’ll take you to George. Sap, lead them to room 34, they can use that for as long as they need.” The masked gaze lingered on Tommy a bit longer, before turning without a sound. Techno also took the chance to glance at the other three, before following Dream. As much as he hated the guy, they were asking for a favour.  
“Sorry about that.” He didn’t even really feel like apologising, but in this moment it was probably better to attempt something.

“You? Sorry? Unusual, is that infection spreading to your head?” While the mask was the same expression, Techno could tell in Dream’s voice that there was a smile there.  
“It’s fine, I like his attitude. Explains why he’s survived as long. Kids don’t do well out there.”  
Techno said nothing more, letting Dream lead him to George.

The room they entered was filled with different medical supplies. There was an organised but chaotic vibe to the entire room. Boxes of different tools and bandages and medicines and serums.   
In amongst it all was a young man wearing a blue shirt and protective goggles. When he looked at Dream he smiled and was about to say something before he glanced at Techno.  
“Oh, so you’re back? I thought that would be the last we’d see of you lot.” His voice seemed laced with curiosity.   
“Techno got bitten. Wondering if you can fix something up for him?” Dream’s attention was always focused on George when they were together. That was another thing Techno noticed about the pair the last time he stayed here. Though he wasn’t entirely sure of their relationship with one another. Everyone had grown closer since the plague, having allies you trusted was extremely important. This skyscraper was their home, with all the people in it. Techno could respect that, if he didn’t hate being stuck in one place for a long time.

“Let me see?” Techno’s gaze focused on George as he motioned for him to show. With that he showed his hand, which had swollen slightly, but it didn’t seem too bad yet.  
“Ah, I see something has been done to stop the spread, Wilbur…?”   
“Wilbur learned a lot from you, he did a good job yeah.” Techno finished, really wanting to get this over and done with so he could return to the others. This was the longest they had been apart where he couldn’t see them. As much as he knew it was safe, and they would be safe in here…there was that uncomfortable feeling in the back of his mind. This was Dream’s playing field, and Dream could be fickle at the best of times. One of the many reasons he disliked the other.

“It’s good that he did, otherwise the infection could have gotten a lot worse. It’s easily treated at this stage, here.” George didn’t seem fazed at the interruption and lifted a small bottle of oil from one of the cluttered shelves. How he knew where anything was in this….was impressive.  
Techno kept his hand out, and George put on a protective glove before applying the oil carefully.  
“Does it hurt? Don’t be prideful with your answer, Dream and Sap are bad for that.”

Dream coughed in response, and George smirked over to him. Techno shook his head.  
“It’s numb, difficult to move, but there’s no pain to it like when the zombie attacked.” George nodded, and pulled back, handing him the oil.  
“Just apply this until the redness goes away, it should help fix it. As I said, due to Wil’s work you should be fine.” The other nodded and turned back to Dream.

“I’ll catch up with you later George, thank you.” The masked man seemed to direct his attention from George to Techno, before beckoning him to follow.  
“Thanks George.” He muttered, hearing a positive response before he followed Dream.

“So, you guys are worried about the winter I assume? We didn’t see you here last year.” Techno stayed quiet, and it seems Dream took the hint, and continued their walk-in silence.  
As they reached this ‘room 34’ he noticed Phil talking with Sapnap, discussing what they had to trade. They could offer some key locations and zombie hotspots, which was always valuable. Wil’s map of the city was known to the Dream Team, as it was rumoured to be the most accurate up-to-date map, though Wil was reluctant to hand that over on its own.

As Techno stepped in, Tommy almost knocked him over, before grabbing him and pulling him so he was closer to him and Wil.  
“Phil’s giving away the location to that cool shop we found.” He grumbled as he pulled him.  
“We have spoken about this already Tommy. It’s fine, we have plenty more cool spots to go back to when we leave.” Though he kept a hand on the youngers shoulder, he’d never admit he was glad for the confirmation they were alright.

Once Sapnap was happy with the information, Dream watching over the interaction carefully, the two men left, leaving the four alone again.  
“What did George do?” Wilbur was quick to his side, grabbing his hand and looking at it carefully.  
“Leave him alone Wil he’s just gotten back. Also, Tommy, you really need to watch your tone mate. That could have cost us shelter.” Tommy looked down and Wil stepped back a bit, and Techno couldn’t help but smirk.

“Don’t worry about it Phil, we’re safe here, we can relax a bit.” As much as he wanted the older man to feel comfort, he could tell that wasn’t going to come quickly.   
“You can look Wil, he put this oil stuff on it? Said I have to keep putting it on to stop the redness. I didn’t ask anymore. I am glad you spoke up though Tommy, thanks for defending me. Though you know I don’t need it.” Tommy was about to say something before Techno continued.  
“Dream’s cocky, but he wasn’t bothered by it. Few actually stand up to him when he’s being a jerk.” He handed Wilbur the oil to look at, who took it with interest. Tommy stayed close to Techno, as they began to set up a little area for themselves. It looked to have been an office previously, old desks had been pushed back and stacked up, and there was a view over the city.

While they were closed away from the cold and the elements, they were still on guard. A natural reaction to living on the streets as long as they had. Dreading the idle wait as they sat, each of them had the itch to travel, the desire to not stay in one place.  
“I spoke with Sapnap. He said as long as we’re here he’s happy if we pull our weight with sharing guard duty and patrols. We can use the facilities here that way, they’re not going to starve us or anything. Seems they’ve got a nice little indoor farm in one of the ground floor rooms. He was also saying how a lot of people have been making the trek to the Hermits on the other side of the river. Something about them being successful with a vaccine.”   
Techno listened as Phil spoke, he would rather they owe them the bare minimum in terms of food and resources. Becoming too dependent on this place was not a trap they could fall into. At the same time, having more people around was always easier rather than fighting to survive on a daily basis.

“I was thinking of going to catch up with George. See if he needs help with anything. Might as well keep busy while we’re here right?” Wilbur was already standing up, getting ready to move to the door.  
“Fine, but be cautious. As much as I know we’re safe…we don’t want to get caught up in any politics of this place. Remember the last time we were here they wanted us to give information on Schlatt’s faction? Not that we know anything, but we have to keep as much to our chests as possible. And be here before dark.” Phil was being overcautious. Techno could tell he was ansty and untrusting of the whole situation.  
He reached and put a hand on Phil’s shoulder to try and relax him, smiling to Wil.  
“Just be careful.”

With a nod, Wil stepped out. Tommy darted after Wil just as Phil stuttered.  
“Tommy, not you too!”  
“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Both Phil and Techno heard behind the door closing, and the blond groaned quietly.  
“They really can’t be separated can they? I know they’ll be fine, but I don’t like this. I don’t like them not being in view.”   
Techno just shrugged and went back to organising a spot by the window.  
“They’ve not really spoken to others in a while. I think it’s just natural for Wil to want other company. Didn’t Tommy have a friend he made the last time he was here?”  
“Tubbo, Dream’s brother. They grew really close I think. Do you think that’s where he is going?”

Techno didn’t respond, instead tried to keep himself busy. Another problem with staying in one place was the stillness. He was itching to move. Perhaps there would be an opportunity yet.

-

Wilbur returned four hours later. Techno refused to say he counted the minutes. He had a smile on his face and had brought some snacks for them.  
“I helped George, he gave me stuff in return. Oh, is Tommy not back yet?” He put the items down and glanced further around, both Techno and Phil giving a confused look.  
“He got bored after about half an hour with me and George, and said he was coming back to you guys. I guess he lied about that.”  
“Or maybe he got distracted?” Techno felt himself saying, trying to ignore the panicked look Phil was displaying.

“Maybe I should go look for him…” Wil started, and Phil pushed himself up.  
“No, stay with Techno. I’ll go. It’s….it’ll be fine. I’ll go.” Before Wil or Techno could respond Phil walked out quickly.

“He’s not doing well is he?” Wil sighed.   
It was an almost unspoken agreement that they all tried to keep Phil calm during these times. The elder was a survivalist, and best in high tension situations out in the world. During times where they were safe, Phil was known to worry about the slightest thing. It was like he couldn’t turn off the clawing urge to keep their group alive.   
While Techno or Wil could have went to find Tommy, it’s something Phil needed to do. He needed to get out, to check the area, to scope potential threats.

When he came back half an hour later with Tommy in tow, it was like a collected breath was exhaled.  
“You have to keep us updated mate. I get you want to see your friend, but…it’s still not safe here. We don’t know the people; we can’t trust them.” Phil was careful with his choice of words, and the familiar kicked puppy expression covered Tommy’s face as he was being lectured.  
“Yeah Phil, sorry. It’s just George and Wil were talking about boring things, and Dream came in and I remember Tubbo, so I asked and he told me where he was. It was just seeing him. Tubbo has all these cool things. Like a games console, and these music disks! I get I can’t have them, cause it would take up space in my bag. But it’s really cool to see. He said we can play games together when he’s not busy helping Dream. If I tell you when I’m going can I go?”  
Phil glanced to Techno and Wil helplessly, both who nodded their heads. With another sigh Phil joined.  
“Fine, just keep us updated. I don’t want you getting caught up in the drama and politics of this place. I want you to be safe.” Tommy smirked, and hugged Phil quickly.  
“Thanks big man, Tubbo said he’s going to be helping Puffy make dinner, said I’m invited if I want. Can I go?”

And as much as Techno could see the hesitation, Phil just gave a silent nod and Tommy laughed, before running back out.  
“I’llbebacklaterIpromise!” Though the string of words was barely comprehensible.  
Phil sat back down, and both Wil and Techno watched him stare out the window, before Wil went to sit next to him, nudging their shoulders together.  
How could you give someone freedom, when you spent so long worried about staying alive?

Techno sat down the other side of Phil, arms not touching but close enough. Tommy would be fine…he was sure of it…otherwise he’d kill everyone in this damn high rise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh, I really wanted to skip to chapter 3 as I have more plans for that. Chapter 2 is just a chapter of writers block.  
> 3 may come out sooner, may not. I may just write fluffy sbi.

**Author's Note:**

> I can't resist Sleepy Boi Inc, I also can't resist Dream Team stuff. 
> 
> I wrote most of this while I was meant to be working.


End file.
